The document analyzes the poem "October" by Robert Frost. It discusses the poem's usage of diction and imagery. For diction, it examines words with denotative and connotative meanings. It finds the poem uses words to represent both literal and suggestive meanings. For imagery, it identifies five types - visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic and organic. The analysis concludes the poem symbolizes the narrator wanting to prolong life before the coming of winter, represented by October. Frost uses imagery and word choices to vividly describe the setting and feelings.

1. Intrinsic Elements Analysis:
Diction and Imagery
in October by Robert Frost
By: Annisa Rahmi Pratiwi

2. Abstract
In this presentation the author tried to analyze
“October” by Robert Frost. The purpose of this
writing is to analyze the intrinsic elements of the
poem. The intrinsic elements of the poem that
will be discussed further are its diction and
imagery. Theories that used are textual,
contextual, and hypertextual by close reading
method.

3. Introduction
October by Robert Frost is a poem about the autumn in October. The
narrator tells about the beauty of the fall or autumn in October that will
change into winter soon. The narrator did not want October pass quickly.
He wanted to enjoy it longer. “October” here is the symbol of life that had
an end and it would come anytime. The ripened leaves that release from
its tree is the symbol of human that will become old and pass away one by
one. The narrator who still wanted to enjoy his life was begging to
“October” to not pass quickly.
Methodology
a. To analyze the usage of diction in the poem.
b. To analyze the usage imagery in the poem
Research Object
The objects of research are sorted into a material and formal
object.

4. Biography of the Poet
Robert Frost was born on March 26, 1874, in San
Francisco, where his father, William Prescott Frost Jr., and
his mother, Isabelle Moodie, had moved from Pennsylvania
shortly after marrying.
In 1895, Frost married Elinor Miriam White,
whom he’d shared valedictorian honors with in high school
and who was a major inspiration for his poetry until her
death in 1938. The couple moved to England in 1912, after
they tried and failed at farming in New Hampshire.
By the time Frost returned to the United States in
1915, he had published two full-length collections, A Boy’s
Will (Henry Holt and Company, 1913) and North of Boston
(Henry Holt and Company, 1914), and his reputation was
established. By the 1920s, he was the most celebrated poet
in America, and with each new book—including New
Hampshire (Henry Holt and Company, 1923), A Further
Range (Henry Holt and Company, 1936), Steeple Bush
(Henry Holt and Company, 1947), and In the Clearing (Holt
Rinehart & Winston, 1962)—his fame and honors
(including four Pulitzer Prizes) increased.
Robert Frost lived and taught for many years in
Massachusetts and Vermont, and died in Boston on January
29, 1963.

5. The Poem
O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away.
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!
For the grapes' sake, if they were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—
For the grapes' sake along the wall.

6. Diction
• Denotation
Denotation is the dictionary meaning or
meanings of the word. (Sound and Sense, 38)
• Connotation
Connotations are what it suggest beyond what it
is expresses: its overtones of meaning. (Sound
and Sense, 38)

7. Stanza 1 Line 2: Thy leaves have ripened to the fall
This line has denotation meaning. The author represents the sudden changes in the trees
when autumn comes. In the autumn season, usually the leaves change its color into
reddish or brownish and then they fall.
Stanza 1 Line 3: Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,
In this line, there is word “wild” that has connotation meaning. The word “wild” means
uncontrollable. Frost wants to explain about the strong wind that can blow away the
ripened leaves which already fall to the ground, not an uncontrollable wind that can
destroy.
Stanza 1 Line 4: Should waste them all
There are words “waste them all”. The word “waste” refers to the word “wind” in the
line before and the word “them” refers to the word “leaves” in line 2. “Waste them all”
have connotation meaning that the wind would throw the ripened leaves away; it was
not true. Wind cannot throw away a thing. The wind only blows the ripened leaves
away.

8. Stanza 1 Line 6: Tomorrow they may form and go
The sentence in line 6 has denotation meaning. The word “they” refers to the crows
in the line before and the words “may form and go” mean migration. October is in
autumn season. Usually, birds migrate to the warmer places when it comes to
autumn or winter season. They make a formation before migrating and then they
go.
Stanza 1 Line 12: Release one leaf at break of day
In this line, there are words “at break of day”. “Break of day” has connotation
meaning as morning. The trees release one leaf in the morning. Connect to the line
after, the trees release another leaf at noon.
Stanza 1 Line 16: Enchant the land with amethyst
The word “amethyst” has connotation meaning. “Amethyst” means purple. The
meaning of the line before is the sun was still covered with haze. It means the sun
began to rise at dawn so the land was enchanted by the beauty of the purple dawn.
So, “amethyst” here represent the purple dawn.
Stanza 1 Line 20: Whose clustered fruit must be lost
As for the words “clustered fruit”, it has denotation meaning as grapes. In the line
before, there are words “for the grapes’ sake”. The words “clustered fruit” refers to
grapes.

9. Imagery
According to X. J. Kennedy in Literature:
An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama
(1979: 464) “a word or sequence of words that
refers to any sensory experience.” Imagery may
be defined as the representation through
language of sense experience. (Sound and Sense,
54)

10. Stanza 1 Line 2: Thy leaves have ripened to the fall
This line uses visual imagery because the reader can visualize the leaves
that ripened and change its color into reddish or brownish in the autumn
which can be seen by the reader’s eyes.
Stanza 1 Line 13: At noon release another leaf
This line uses visual imagery. Frost brings the reader to the vision of leaf
that release from its tree at noon.
Stanza 1 Line 5: The crows above the forest call
This line uses auditory imagery. From the word “call”, Frost makes the
reader hear when the crows twitter calling the other crows that fly above
the forest.

11. Stanza 1 Line 1: O hushed October morning mild
The words “morning mild” here represents tactile imagery. The
writer wants the reader to feel the mild of October morning which is
cold but not too cold, with fresh air and the dew covered the leaves.
Stanza 1 Line 10: Hearts not averse to being beguiled
This line uses organic imagery. From the words “being beguiled”,
the writer makes the reader feel such internal sensation of being
beguiled by someone or something. Or the readers also can imagine
the feeling of being beguiled.
Stanza 1 Line 6: Tomorrow they may form and go
This line uses kinesthetic imagery because “form and go” are
movement. According to the line before, “they” refers to the crows.
“Form and go” means migration. To migrate, the crows need a
movement from their wings.

12. Conclusion
October by Robert Frost is a poem about the autumn in
October. The narrator tells about the beauty of the fall or autumn in
October that will change into winter soon. The narrator did not want
October pass quickly. He wanted to enjoy it longer. “October” here
is the symbol of life that had an end and it would come anytime. The
ripened leaves that release from its tree is the symbol of human that
will become old and pass away one by one. The narrator who still
wanted to enjoy his life was begging to “October” to not pass
quickly.
As for literary element, Robert Frost uses imagery and diction,
including connotation and denotation to explain more about
“October” that he does not want to pass. He uses October to
represent his life that he wants to last longer. Frost also uses imagery
in his poem so that the reader can feely imagine the situation he
wrote in the poem. Frost uses five kinds of imagery; they are visual,
auditory, tactile, kinesthetic and organic.

13. References
• Perrine, Laurence. 1969. Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. Atlanta:
Harcourt, Brace 7 World, Inc.
• Holt, Henry and Company. 1949. Complete Poems of Robert Frost. New York.
• Abrams, M. H. 1962. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: W.W.
Norton & Company.
• Thrall, William Flint and Addison. 1960. A Handbook to Literature. The Odyssey
Press.
• Kennedy, X. J. 1966. LITERATURE, An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama.
Toronto: Little, Brown and Company
• www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/robert-frost (accessed on January, 2nd 2016)
• http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/please-explain-poem-october-by-robert-frost-289277
(accessed on January, 2nd 2016)
• https://quizlet.com/368838/types-of-imagery-flash-cards/ (accessed on January, 2nd
2016)